Advertising Standards Canada
Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) is the advertising industry's non-profit self-regulating body created in 1957 to ensure the integrity and viability of advertising in Canada. The organization includes over 160 advertisers, advertising agencies, media organizations, and suppliers to the advertising sector. Some of the activities that the organization engages in are:
- Administering the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards, which sets the criteria for acceptable advertising and forms the basis for the review and adjudication of consumer and trade complaints.
- Administering a consumer complaints process about advertisements currently running in Canadian media.
- Providing pre-clearance for advertising in five regulated categories: children’s, food and non-alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages, consumer drugs, and cosmetics.